The Rover

It’s not Mad Max, but this film does take place in Austrailia a decade after a global collapse. Guy Pearce plays a dour, dirty traveler of few words and violent action. When three men steal his car, he chases after them with a “halfwit,” interestingly played by Robert Pattison. Everything about this film is gritty and grim: the people, the look, even the attitude. Director David Michôd has crafted it with an assured hand that makes it compelling, even with the tedious pacing and minimal explanations. He loves to hold long closeups of Pattinson as he ruminates.

GAY ANGLE: In the first scene, there’s one man with his head in another man’s lap.

Obvious Child

I’m not a fan of “Girls” and I’m not a fan of the lead character in this movie (played by Jenny Slate). She seems to inhabit the same mundane world from the HBO series, but her character makes it less appealing: she’s a comedian who’s not funny and a whiny, wimpy woman who’s not sympathetic. Many aspects of her life start to crumble, when she meets a sweet man who changes things (and he’s the only bright spot). When you don’t care about the self-destructive, self-indulgent pivotal character and don’t find her humor amusing, there’s not much to like.

GAY ANGLE: Since it’s New York, the lead character has a wise-cracking gay best bud.

Jerry Williams reviewed movies for WTVR-TV for 14 years and for Style Weekly for 10 years. When he launched his own website in 1998 at TVJerry.com, he took his reviews to the Internet. Through those hundreds of reviews, Jerry kept his sexual orientation muted. So, he's excited to be adding "gay angles" to his postings for GayRVA.com.